Blue is the new Green for Mercedes- Mercedes-Benz S 320 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY

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Mercedes Benz is all set to spread the ‘Green’ revolution in India by launching its ‘Blue’ Effeciency package, starting with the S-Class. Mercedes is expected to launch the of new S 320 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY to supersede the S 320 CDI model from the end of this year. Effective detailed modifications and advanced technology have brought down the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of the new model variant by some 10 per cent compared to its predecessor, which was itself very economical.

With a fuel consumption of 7.6 litres per 100 km (a reduction of 0.7 litres) and CO2 emissions of 199 g/km (a reduction of 21 g), the S 320 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY is set to achieve top marks in the luxury class. The feature set includes on-demand power steering, an automatic transmission with standstill decoupling, as well as tires with reduced rolling resistance.

Mercedes is completely in its stride to develop and improvise the Blue Efficiency package, which actually started off as an attempt to impress the ‘German Green Party’!!

How Blue Efficiency works?

The power steering’s hydraulic pump that is driven by an electric motor has an on-demand design, meaning that it only builds up pressure when the driver actually turns the steering wheel. This has the effect of reducing energy and fuel consumption when driving for long distances in a straight line – such as on the motorway.

The 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission is equipped with standstill decoupling. With this feature, the torque converter interrupts the power flow as soon as the vehicle draws to a stop with the engine running, in much the same way as the clutch on a manual transmission. This eliminates the converter’s hydrodynamic resistance, lessening the load on the engine and lowering fuel consumption. Standstill decoupling has the added benefit of reducing noise and vibration levels when stopped, and enables even smoother idling. The slip-controlled clutch engages the instant the driver releases the brake pedal, allowing the vehicle to move off without the slightest delay.

The V6 power-plant has been retained but tweaked to produce superlative output and torque figures of 173 kW/235 hp and 540 Nm respectively. Thus equipped, the S 320 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY completes the sprint from 0 – 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds and attains a top speed of 250 km/h. All this with a fuel efficiency of a medium sized car !!

The price for the S 320 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY in Germany is unchanged at €70,864.50 (incl. VAT). The long-wheelbase version costs €78,718.50 (incl. VAT).

The other ‘Blue’ car expected for launch here is the S 400 BlueHYBRID , expected to hit the market in summer 2009. The merging of the V6 petrol engine with a highly effecient Hybrid module makes it the world’s most economical petrol-powered luxury saloon.It burns 7.9 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (NEDC) with CO2 emissions of 190 g/km. Mercedes-Benz will further-more be first to market with the lithium-ion high-voltage battery that is to be fitted in the S 400 BlueHYBRID as standard.